Artificial Intelligence is becoming a key weapon in the arsenal of the 21st century warfare.
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| [AI Robot/Alex/Pexels] |
For decades, 'Killer Robots' – machines that track down and 'terminate' humans – have piqued the public's interest in science fiction, cyberpunk, and dystopian genres.
Although we are still a long way from seeing Terminators walking the streets, science fiction from the past is beginning to become a fact in today's world.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is becoming a central tool in the arsenal of 21st-century warfare, from increasingly autonomous drones to intelligent malware attacks on Iran.
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Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous robots are all examples of systems that attempt to replicate certain elements of human intelligence. They offer machines the ability to 'think' in a limited way, allowing them to work on problems such as pattern recognition, speech recognition, data analysis, and decision-making that are usually reserved for humans.
These methods aren't brand new. Amazon, Google, and other megacorporations have used Big Data to predict their customers' wants and needs, allowing them to build vast commercial empires. Big Data is the vast and seemingly endless amount of information generated online.
Although, in many of the same respects, AI is now changing the military.
Since AI functions as a 'power multiplier,' a mechanism that enables the same number of people to accomplish and do more, today's battlefields are becoming depleted of human combatants due to the accuracy and precision of current arms. Military artificial intelligence focuses on three things:
i. Cyber-attacking software;
ii. Data Crunching; and
iii. Self-contained machine.
Stuxnet, the world's most popular cyber-weapon, attempted to infiltrate the program regulating the spinning of centrifuges extracting Uranium in Iran over a decade ago. It was able to hide its tracks, looking for a specific piece of code to attack that would cause the centrifuges to spin out of control and self-destruct.
Even if it was extremely advanced at the time, it would be nothing compared to what is available now and what might be available in the future. Viruses like these will be capable of not only attacking and sabotaging targets, but also relaying strategic information back to their developers.
These are the twenty-first century's wartime spies, and the information they gather is priceless.
Long before any bullets are fired in today's warfare, militaries around the world collect a mountain of data through satellites, battlefield sensors, and cyber attacks.
Analysts are trying to make sense of all the data being collected, and they are increasingly relying on learning algorithms that depend on data, similar to Amazon's algorithm.
While AI algorithms are excellent at crunching data, they have begun to impress observers with their decisions. Alpha Go, an AI program, defeated a human grandmaster and world champion of the notoriously complex game of GO in 2016. It stunned the audience with its suddenly bold maneuvers, which caught its opponent Lee Se-dol off guard. The algorithm went on to win the tournament, much to the surprise of the spectators.
But it's in mass surveillance and counter-insurgency where AI really shines.
Outside of a James Bond film, the ability to scan images from millions of CCTV cameras or drones and track several possible targets would be unimaginable.
It has frightening potential but is now attainable. This form of Big Data surveillance is already being used in counter-insurgency operations with great success.
Data from a raid can now be easily analyzed and acted upon, leading to further raids later that night, producing even more data. This pace can throw any insurgent group off balance, leaving them with only one option: move and hide constantly.
These AI programs and frameworks have already been able to develop and evolve as a result of Big Data. 'AI Pilots' are already scoring major victories over their human counterparts in wargames and dogfight simulations, leading to an increase in autonomous machines.
As AI becomes more strong, the pressure on systems to become self-contained will only grow. For the time being, militaries prefer to have a person involved in the decision-making process.
However, during a battle, these communication lines may be targeted. The body would be unable to think if the head was removed.
Not so with the high-end, unarmed intelligence gathering drone Global Hawk, which can carry out 'orders' without the use of a vulnerable data link once issued. This makes it much more survivable in the event of a potential war, and money is being put into new systems like the Dassault nEUROn in France and the Sukhoi S-70 in Russia.
The robotic 'Loyal Wingman' is currently being developed by Australian Air Force researchers in partnership with Boeing. This unmanned aircraft, designed to fly alongside a jet piloted by a human, will battle the enemy, complete its task, and assist the human pilot. It would also serve as an AI bodyguard for the manned aircraft, willing to sacrifice itself to save the human pilot if necessary.
'Killer robots,' although they don't exist yet, are a source of concern for many. Codes of ethics are now being developed in preparation for the inevitable arrival of autonomous combatants in the battlefield.
For the time being, the possible uses of artificial intelligence by militaries around the world are vast. Each type of system increases the capacity of the others as it grows and evolves.
So, while we haven't yet encountered the Terminator, it won't be long before our conflicts begin to resemble science fiction films.
Disclaimer: This article may resemble Al Jazeera's Project Force.